Airbus Reveals Orders For 204 Aircraft

Airbus recorded 204 gross commercial aircraft orders in July 2026 with significant airline and lessor activity across the 31 days.

The month saw the planemaker rely heavily on demand from China, a persistent theme across 2026 as airlines push for fleet renewal at scale and ensure hundreds of new orders are placed with Airbus for narrowbody and now finally widebody jets.

Additionally, Airbus saw further contracts signed in the Middle East, with year-to-date gross orders jumping to 1,090 for the first seven months of 2026, dropping to 1,024 net after cancellations and adjustments.

The headline deal, however, came from SMBC Aviation Capital, which ordered 100 A320neo family aircraft split between 35 A320neos and 65 of the largest A321neos. That three-digit purchase ensures the lessor will have a steady orderbook and delivery pool through the 2030s for customers seeking new aircraft and additional capacity.

Hainan Airlines placed the second-largest order in July, committing to 40 of the A320neo family spread across 27 A320neos and 13 A321neos. China Eastern ordered 25 A330-900s to evolve its widebody operations, marking one of the month’s largest widebody commitments as part of its July reporting.

Airbus Narrowbodies Continue To Thrive

The orderbook for July saw a mix of narrowbodies and widebodies; however, the latter positioned secondary to the strong demand for single-aisle aircraft. As delivery slots become scarce, pressure is building on lessors and airlines to commit now or risk missing out.

Saudi low-cost carrier flynas was another customer that committed to the A320neo family, purchasing 20 of the high-capacity A321neos, which was further complemented by six of the same type from an unidentified customer. Those orders came alongside the larger commitments from SMBC Aviation Capital and Hainan Airlines.

While narrowbodies led the way, the month also saw important commitments for widebody jets; flynas also ordered five A330-900s alongside its A321neo commitment. The Saudi carrier is betting on the type for its future long-haul and high-capacity needs.

It was China Eastern’s A330-900 deal that was significant, though; the purchase was one of the largest from the Chinese carrier and for the A330neo programme, which years back was struggling for new orders. Additionally, it addresses pressure points for China Eastern on its path to fleet renewal and growth.

Riyadh Air also expanded its widebody orderbook, with a top-up order for its A350-1000 fleet. At the same time, a further six units have been added to the firm category of the orderbook, which are yet to be delivered. With a strong desire to develop a global network from Riyadh, the airline has wasted no time since launch in making this happen, with the high-capacity Airbus jet set to complement the 787 and A321neo, the former being the launch aircraft.

Airbus’ single cancellation during the month involved the A220 family, a small change to the orderbook and meant gross orders were able to grow beyond 1,000 for the first seven months of the year.

Airbus Delivered 67 Aircraft During July

Away from orders, Airbus delivered 67 aircraft to 39 customers in July, matching its July 2025 delivery total, with the handover of six A220s, 18 A320neos, 37 A321neos and six A350s.

By the end of July, Airbus had delivered 418 aircraft to 82 customers, a higher figure than in the same period one year prior but requiring a big end-of-year push to reach the annual target put forward, and internal targets of 900.

With recent delays in handovers, such as delays affecting KLM’s A350-900 deliveries, ongoing supply-chain constraints not only push back individual deliveries but also have knock-on effects that hurt scheduled ones beyond this, putting the annual target at risk.